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LEGAZPI CITY: A libel complaint against a
correspondent of The Manila Times filed by a controversial blocktime
broadcaster has been ordered dismissed.
As this developed, the Diocese of
Legazpi led by Bishop Emeritus Jose Sora hailed the decision saying
truth, no matter how delayed, always triumphs.
Correspondent Manny Ugalde was
charged with libel by broadcaster Adamson Claveria following reports
that saw print in The Manila Times (January 8, 9, and 11) on
the issue of “demonic languages polluting Albay radio.”
Claveria, along with Greg
Reverente of radio station dwRL owned by the Philippine Radio
Corporation were earlier threatened with a libel complaint by the
Diocese of Legazpi after the two maligned a bishop, a monsigñor and
the whole clergy by calling them “demons, animals,” and other
expletives in their radio program on October 16 and 17, 2007.
Albay Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster
sa Pilipinas members also noted that even fellow media
practitioners, government officials, private personalities and even
women were not exempted from the usual expletives of the two.
This led the Diocese of Legazpi
to threaten legal action against the two broadcasters and the dwRL
station headed by station manager Cora Obido.
But the church had decided to put
on hold the libel complaint after Reverente and Obido on March made
a public apology. Claveria, who has since been terminated by the
dwRL in January also asked forgiveness from the church, said
lawyer Peter Ralla, counsel for the diocese. Claveria also offered
to reveal the name of his source who gave him the anonymous
complaint they used as basis in maligning the Church officials.
Likewise, the Church had asked
Ugalde if he would accept a proposal to include Claveria’s
withdrawal of the libel case against him as among the conditions in
granting forgiveness to Claveria.
Ugalde, however, said he politely
declined the proposal, as he wanted that his case prospered on the
basis of its merits. He added that The Manila Times does not even
know there was a libel case filed against him.
In his complaint, Claveria cited
a portion of the January 9 story he considered libelous. The portion
mentioned Claveria as having figured in an “extortion on the
air” when he interviewed a certain National Food Authority (NFA)
regional director named Danilo Pastrana by telephone: “Director,
padalhan mo ako dito sa station ng P5,000, kailangan na kailangan ko
[Director, send me P5,000 here in the station, I need it badly].”
The NFA director replied by telling him, “Adam, P2,000 lang kaya
ko at dalawang bags of rice [Adam, I only have P2,000, and I’ll
send you two bags of rice].”
The extortion try went on
broadcast because a technician failed to switch off the telephone
connected to the announcer’s booth.
The said incident that happened
on November 21, 2005, when Claveria’s stint with dzRC became the
talk of the town and Claveria’s contract with dzRC was
subsequently terminated.
Claveria had earlier boasted he
would ask for P10-million damage and have Ugalde hauled to jail. The
official complaint he filed was for a P1-million damage suit.
In his decision of April 28,
Prosecutor Roy Lladoc said there was nothing libelous in Ugalde’s
report in The Manila Times since the complainant’s denial that he
figured in an extortion try was included in the story.
-- Miguel Antonio de Guzman
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